Feeder for hay and straw burners



W. FORD. Feeder forHay and Straw-Burners.

No'.,229,j10. Patnted June 22,1880.

ATTORNEYS.

N: PEIEflSfPHOTD-LDTHOGRKFHER. WASHINGTON. D 0.

' UNITED STATES PATENT Ornien.

WILLIAM FORD, OF GREAT BEND, KANSAS.

FEEDER FOR HAY AND STRAW BURNERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 229,110, dated June 22, 1-880. Application filed February 16, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FORD, of Great Bend, in the county of Barton and State of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved Feeding Device for Hay or Straw Burners, of which the following is a specification Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation on line w as, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a damper.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to provide a novel device, to be placed on the top of a stove or furnace, for holding and burning hay, straw, corn-stalks, weeds, 860.

The invention consists of a sheet-metal drum designed for the introduction of straw, hay, 850., into stoves, furnaces, 850., closed at the bottom by peculiarly-constructed dampers, and having a small central hole in its top for the introduction of a rod or poker for the purpose of pushing down or compressing the contents of the burner, as hereinafter described.

In the drawings, A represents the burner, consisting of a sheet-metal drum, A, having aband of metal, a, fastened on the inside near its bottom, and extending entirely around the drum, so as to form a ledge for the dampers to rest upon; and just above this band a is fast ened a metallic strip, 1), whose lower edge is bent inward, as shown, to overlap the upwardturning edges of the dampers, and to aid in holding them in place and in preventing their becoming clogged by the straw, hay, &c., contained in the said drum.

B B are the dampers, of sheet metal or other suitable material, whose edges are turned up, as shown at c, and provided with handles (1. These dampers B B constitute the bottom of the burner, and are designed to close the open lower end thereof, and for this purpose are entered through the slots ff of the said drum A and pushed inward until they meet. When in this position, closing the bottom of the drum A, these dampers B B rest on the band a, while their turned-up edges 0 project upward between the metallic strip b and the sides of the said burner, and the edges of the rounded ends of said dampers B B fit closely against the outside of the drum A just above the slots ff, and thereby close the said slots.

Upon the top of the burner A is fastened a metallic plate, 0, having a central hole, 9, in which hole 9 a screw-plug, h, is shown screwed. The chain and ring that hold the plug h to the burner A are shown at l m, and a n are the handles by which the said feeder is lifted.

In some parts of the country where other fuel is scarce straw, hay, corn-stalks, and other light and bulky vegetable substances are made to serve as fuel; but such substances are so light and inflammable and so inconvenient to handle that their use as fuel is attended with danger and much labor and trouble, as fires made of such substances require constant replenishing. This improved device renders the use of such substances for fuel safe and easy.

The dampers B B being opened or with drawn, the straw, hay, &c., to be burned is crowded into the burner A as closely as possible; then the said dampers B B are closed and the said burner A is lifted by its handles a n to the top of a stove whose cover has been removed; then the dampers B B are wholly or partially pulled out and the contents of the burner A pushed down into the said stove by a rod introduced through the opening 9 in the top of the said burner. This burner A being perfectly tight and close, excepting for the opening of the dampers B B and plug h, no smoke, sparks, or flame to any annoying or appreciable extent can escape therefrom durin g the burning of its contents; and as the said burner A may remain over or on the stove until all the straw, &c., has been burned, it will itself operate as a most efficient heater, radiating the heat from the burning fuel all about the room. Being constructed of sheet metal, this burnerA is easily handled and can be refilled and emptied, as above set forth,

with little trouble and with an avoidance of danger; and, if desirable, it can be secured upon the stove on furnace by means of spiral springs s, that may be made fast at one end to loops .2? on the said burner and at the other end to a hook or other device on the stove.

I am aware that it is not new to make a magazine provided with an extensible damper metallic strip 1), having an inwardly-bent lower to enable the mouth of the feeder to be Wholly edge, and the dampers B as and for the pur- [O or partially closed. pose specified.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Let- 5 ters Patenp WILLIAM FORD.

The combination, with a sheet-metal drum Witnesses: closed at the bottom and having a small ceu- WM. OSMOND, tral hole at the top, of the metallic band a, the SAML. MAKER. 

